Florida county's deal to buy SS United States on hold
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SS United States. Photo: Hannah Yoon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A $1 million deal to sell the SS United States to a Florida county hit a snag, requiring the ship's stewards to reopen talks to salvage the agreement.
Why it matters: The SS United States Conservancy is frantically searching for a new home for the historic ocean liner ahead of a court-imposed Sept. 12 deadline to remove the ship from its berth in Philadelphia.
Driving the news: Okaloosa County must head back to the negotiating table after hitting a "wrinkle" with dock landlord Penn Warehousing, forcing it to retool its current agreement with the Conservancy, county spokesperson Nick Tomecek told Axios.
- The county board was scheduled to vote Tuesday night to approve the acquisition of the 1,000-foot ocean liner for an artificial reefing project off the Gulf Coast.
- Under the initial signed contract, Okaloosa had until Oct. 4 to reach an agreement with Penn Warehousing about towing the ship.
What they're saying: The county said it's continuing to work with the Conservancy to salvage the deal, Tomecek said, but it's unclear if a new agreement can be buttoned up before the board's next meeting on Sept. 17.
- The Conservancy declined Axios' request for comment. Penn Warehousing couldn't be reached.
Zoom in: The county had estimated the project to cost $9 million, which included relocating the ship from Philly and removing pollutants to prepare it for sinking.
- The county also planned to set aside $1 million for a future museum celebrating the ship's place in American maritime history.
Okaloosa County has already identified three permitted sites that can accommodate the SS United States, which set a record during its maiden voyage in 1952 as the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic.